Sanitary comb



M. B. KASSEL SANITARY COMB July 31-, 1951 Filed Nov. 23, 1945 a? Am -w INVENTOR. MORRIS B. KASSEL BY g 1 ATTORNEY Patented July 31, 1951 UNITED TATES ATENT OFFICE r SANITARY COMB Morris B. Kassel, New York, N. Y. ApplicationNovember 23, 1945 Serial No. 630,179

1 Claim. (01. 132- 28) The present invention relates to combs and more especially to a self-cleaning hair comb of simple and unique construction.

Due to their construction, the cleaning of ordinary combs is tedious and difficult. The spaces between the teeth are so small and numerous that such combs are either discarded or ineffectively cleaned, if at all. The latter gives rise to an unsanitary condition of comb and hair which is highly undesirable. Sporadic attempts have been made to overcome this situation without success. Multi-part combs and combs with tubular teeth have been proposed, none of which has met with adoption due to mechanical or other disadvantages.

It is, accordingly, an object of this invention to provide for the first time a self-cleaning or easily cleanable comb of simple, inexpensive construction.

Another object of the inventionresides in-making a Z-part comb having its teeth arrangement such that relatively wide tooth interspaces are provided on separate nesting comb portions'to render the parts easily cleanable.

A further object of the invention is to provide a, comb made in two parts, one of which can be' nested within the other, each part carrying teeth and the act of disassembly and assembly serving to effect a cleaning action.

Other objects of the invention include the production of two-color or ornamental effects, the production of multiple length combs and such other and further features as will be appreciated from the detailed description which follows.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 illustrates in longitudinal elevation, a comb responding to my present invention, but with the parts in an extended or partially separated condition, a portion thereof being broken away to reveal the underlying structure.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a View partly in elevation and partly in section of a modified form of the invention in partially disassembled condition.

Fig. 4 illustrates, in perspective, a further modifide form of the invention.

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of a still further modified form of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a vertical section showing a further modification.

The construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 constitutes the preferred form of comb since it rep- 2 resents a simple, practicable construction providing the desired results. In these figures, the numeral I0 designates the main comb portion and the numeral I I designates the supplementary portion. Each portion may be composed of hard rubber or a suitable plastic or other material, and may be transparent or opaque and of any desired color. If desired, portions I0 and II may be of different colors not only to provide an unusual effect or pleasing contrast, but also to represent school or other colors.

The portions may be made by stamping from sheet stock, by moulding, or die casting, or by any other way known to the trade.

Main comb portion I0 is generally similar to a conventional comb except that the teeth I2 are spaced further apart than in an ordinary comb, .for ease in cleaning. In addition, the back or top member may be provided with a groove I3 which is either moulded or cast in when the comb :por-

tion. iii is formed, or'milled out 'subsequent thereto. As shown, the groove 13 may extend substantially the entire length of portion I'll, butterminates in vertical walls ..I4Jt'o loosely receive the portion II therebetween. The ends 15 Of ortion I I] may be solid and unslotted but the floorfol. groove I3 is provided with a series of spaced apertures I 6 which communicate with the spaces between teeth I2. Portion II may have a continuous solid back or top member I! and a plurality of depending spaced teeth It of a size to pass relatively freely through apertures I6 and appropriately spaced for that purpose. The length of teeth I8 is such that they terminate fiush with the ends of teeth I2 when parts l0 and II are in nested or assembled position; that is to say, the teeth I8 are longer than the teeth I2 so that when the two portions I0 and II are assembled, all of the teeth on both portions terminate in a single line. For ease of disassembly, part I ll is provided with an arcuate cut-away I9 and part I I may be provided with a similarly curved finger nail slot or protuberance 20.

In Fig. 3, slot I3a is open-ended and extends the entire length of comb portion Illa, the slot being provided in its floor with the spaced apertures Ifia which accommodate teeth I8a of comb portion Ila. In this form of the invention, portion Ila does not terminate at the last teeth but has wing-like extensions 2| which nest within and lie flush with the terminal portions of part IIJa superjacent to the ends l5a. In other respects, the comb of Fig. 3 is the same as the comb of Fig. 1. The form of invention illustrated in Fig. 4 is similar to that of Fig. 3, but differs from the latter in that one of the comb ends (ISD) is on comb portion I01) and the other comb end (2 lb) is on comb portion I lb.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate a further modified 2- part comb in which the ends 2Ic are both formed on comb portion I la, and neither of the end elements is formed on portion I00. This is, in effect, the reverse of the construction of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7' illustrates a further modification wherein any one of the forms illustrated may be so shaped that the teeth of both comb portions are of equal thickness, the back Ind being thick enough to be provided with grooves I3 for receiving back I Id of the other comb portion which carries teeth I8d.

Other variations may be employed without departing from the spirit or principles hereof, the invention being rather that defined by the subjoined claims.

It will be appreciated that the combs above described are self-cleaning in that the act of disassembling the nested comb portionscleans the teeth I8, I8a, I8b, I8c or I8d by drawing them through apertures I6, IEa, I61), I60 or I6d, respectively, and when the comb portions are separated, the relatively widely spaced teeth of each portion enables the portions to be further cleaned with ease and rapidly by holding them under a stream of water. The apertures do not become clogged or filled since they are kept clean by the movement of the teeth therethrough in opposite directions from time to time or as required.

My new combs are inexpensive to produce and simple and practicable in construction as well as attractive in appearance. The two portions occupy no more space than a conventional comb and no fastening instrumentalities are required since frictional resistance alone is adequate to maintain the parts in place.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new. and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isi

A comb comprising a main comb section having a back and teeth integral with and extending downwardly therefrom and spaced from each other longitudinally of the back, said back being formed along its upper portion with a longitudinally extending groove opening through the upper edge face of the back and being rectangular in cross section and having end walls disposed above the spaces between the end ones of the teeth, there being apertures extending between the bottom' of the groove and the upper ends of the spaces between all of the teeth, and a supplemental comb section having a back and teeth integral with and extending downwardly from the back and spaced from each other longitudinally thereof, the back of the supplemental comb section being rectangular in cross section and of dimensions adapting it to fit snugly in said groove with its upper edge face flush with the upper edge face of the back of the main comb section when seated in the groove, and the teeth of the supplemental comb section being straight and uninterrupted through their length and slidable longitudinally through the apertures into and out of position between the teeth of the main comb section to permit the entire removal of the supplemental comb section from the main comb section and of a length adapting them to have their lower ends flush with the lower ends of the teeth of the main comb section when the supplemental comb section is assembled with the main comb section. v

MORRIS B. KASSEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

